Devolution (10 page)

In the rear seat sat Colonel Levanetz.

“Yes sir, it’s taken care of,” Levanetz said through the car’s wireless system.

“I watched the press conference,” the vapid voice on the other end replied confidently. “Any problems with media or city officials?”

“No sir. And our guy’s condition is progressing quickly. He should be dead in a year. He’ll remain quiet.”

“Make sure his remaining days in prison are gentle.”

“His family has already been moved out of the red zone,” Levanetz assured him. “They are on their way to London with full payment. Their house is ready and we have alerted a Mosque of their arrival.”

“Perfect, Colonel. Has his real name been erased?”

“Yes, Mr. Prime Minister.”

“Good day to you, sir. Great Britain and her people appreciate your patriotism.”

The line went dead.

Colonel Levanetz basked in the sensation of accomplishment. Another disaster averted
.
When the black sedan braked for a red light, his body slightly shifted forward with the momentum. They were now driving through the University of Cambridge on their way to a retreat in Norwich.

As the “WALK” light began to blink, John Nolan came sprinting through the intersection, darting past the sedan when the light turned green.

Upon reaching the sidewalk, he slowed his pace. Waiting on the steps of the library sat April Lynn. When she spotted John, she sprang to her feet and rushed towards him.

“Ready?” John asked.

April leaped onto him, flinging her arms around his neck. There was no alluring scent or unbuttoned blouse. April had secured her initial desire. She was now onto her next goal.

She squeezed him tightly. “I couldn’t be more ready.”

Hand-in-hand, the two strode down the sidewalk.

“Do you feel good about that job?” John asked. The semester was nearly over. Campus was nearly empty.

“Yeah, it should happen. They’re still getting some funding. But who knows for how long.”

Unemployment in the UK had recently hit eight percent; a few years prior it was half that. The boom years leading up to the fall of America, and then following it, were over. The proverbial bubble had burst. As a result, ominous political winds were swirling throughout the United Kingdom. Calls for a change in government grew louder with each updated economic figure. It was not for lack of action. As the economy spluttered, the government tried to mitigate the pain. Some politicians called for tax incentives and free trade, while others favored tax hikes to redistribute wealth. To placate the masses Parliament passed some laws. Yet, the people were impatient and demanded more.

The abrupt spike in job losses gave rise to opposition movements that looked to capitalize off the misery. Never let a crisis go unrealized. Few employers were willing to expand with such an uncertain future, which contributed to the economic slide, further empowering the minority party’s claims against the current power structure.

“What about you?” April gently squeezed John’s hand as they passed the Unitarian Church of Cambridge. Like many holy places in the country, it was turned into something more desirous of the population—this one an art gallery. “Hear anything back yet?”

“No. But we got a new tile job. It will last a few weeks.”

April sighed. “If I get this job, I don’t aim to make much.” They turned a corner and crossed a footbridge that spanned the River Cam.

“I’ll get a professorship,” John said and smiled. “I promise.”

The couple approached a set of white marble stairs and climbed.

April looked up at John in critical approval. “There has to be a small college that would love to hire a Cambridge grad.”

John opened the door and after a short walk, the pair stood before a set of metal doors. “Doesn’t that sound good, though? I can work my way up. Eventually get to a larger university.”

DING!

The elevator doors struggled open. They stepped in and turned around.

“I can do my job most anywhere,” April said. “In case you get a job far away.”

John looked down at her and smiled once again.

DING!

The doors shuddered open and their conversation came to an end. For the remaining voyage down the hallway, the only noise came from their shoes striking the dull laminate. Silence in their relationship was no longer awkward.

Hand-in-hand they walked, eventually turning to face the door with the nameplate, “Professor Dayton Sorenson.”

Following a slight sigh of anxious relief, April broke the silence. “Here we are.” Those simple words encapsulated this remarkable moment in their lives.

They swung their book bags forward and unzipped the tops, pulling out their prepared reports. In their hands, they now held the culmination of months of work. The old professor preferred paper to digital.

April knelt down, placing her binder on the floor, as did John.

“You know,” John remarked, “I have spent so much time on this, I don’t want to let it go.”

April understood what this paper meant to him. This was his chance to prove his worth after being rejected from the history department. This paper was more than simply a thesis to graduate. It was a statement.

“This paper is a part of me.” John took a deep breath. “You ready?” he asked.

In unison, they both slid their theses under the door and into the darkness of Old Sores’ office.

They stayed knelt down, enjoying the giant weight that had been lifted.

For April, it was a tribute to her family.

For John, it was vindication, and the hope that his work would be recognized.

*

While John and April were waiting for the elevator to return, a door creaked opened behind them. They turned to find Professor Sorenson holding what they had slid under his door.

“Hello, Professor,” April said. “We figured you were out.”

“I should be.” He smiled politely. “Mr. Nolan, can we have a word?”

Moments later, John was sitting in Old Sores’ office.

“I’ve glanced through your paper,” the professor said, leaning back in his chair. “This seems a bit presumptuous, don’t you think?”

“Presumptuous?” John’s back arched in discomfort.

“Here at Cambridge,” the professor said, attempting to mitigate his words with a non-insulting pitch, “we attempt
realistic
scholarship.”

“It took me years to write this, Professor. I have the research to back it up.”

“John, I told you I was concerned. You’re not a lawyer, you’re not a political scientist, you’re not an historian or a politician’s son. I fear you don’t have the pedigree to write something of this nature.” The professor flipped through the pages of John’s report. “What do you expect to do with this?”

John had no real answer.

“Who will take this seriously?”

“My work is sound,” the young man stated. “It’s rooted in the human experience. No, I don’t have a
name
, but I have ideas and an honest approach. And if anyone is willing to give them a chance…” the young man paused. “Well, maybe I can
get
a name.”

“
The people within this jurisdiction, under their own free consent,”
the professor read from the preamble,
“establish, preserve and ensure the blessings of human rights, personal liberties, common defense, just competition, individual property, a stable currency and the moral justice required to form a more perfect union, do ordain and authorize this Constitution.”

He turned to a random page.
“Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of the press—unless such press or their ancillary corporate partnerships profit off government contracts.”

“Doesn’t that make sense?” John argued.

Old Sores placed John’s paper on his desk and leaned forward. He appeared less skeptical. “You will receive the grade you deserve—like any other student. But just so we are clear, you
do
understand my concerns?”

“Someday, Professor,” John replied confidently, “our society will seek a new direction. Maybe even a new government. And when that day comes, your
concerns
will be meaningless.”

CHAPTER FIVE

THE CONSTITUTION

T
he People within this jurisdiction, under their own free consent, establish, preserve, and ensure the blessings of human rights, personal liberties, common defense, just competition, individual property, a stable currency, and the moral justice required to form a more perfect union, do ordain and authorize this Constitution.

Article One

Department of War and State

Section 1 – Mandate

All defense and foreign relations powers herein granted shall be vested in a Department of War and State which shall consist of a single representative body.

Section 2 – Powers of the Department

To declare war, grant letters of marquee and reprisal, declare a national emergency, make rules concerning detentions on land, air, space and water;

To raise and support a functioning military, and all aspects thereof, but no appropriation of money shall be for a longer term than two years;

To make rules for and regulate land, air, space, water and all other forces;

To set policy and provide for calling forth Municipality militias to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections, secure borders and repel invasions;

To provide diplomacy between foreign states and military operations domestic and foreign;

To dispose of and make all needful rules and regulations respecting the territory not under the jurisdiction of this Constitution;

To negotiate and approve treaties with foreign nations with appropriate ratification from Article 4, Section 4, of this Constitution;

To provide consulate and dignitaries to foreign nations;

To define and punish terrorism, piracy, or aggression, and all felonies committed on the high seas, and offenses against the law of nations;

To, with understanding the purpose of war is victory, allow Secretarial authority to act as necessary during declared wars.  Periodically, the Secretary shall appear before his/her Department to outline strategy, in secrecy if required, upon which the Department can vote to remove the Secretary with a three-fourths vote.  

Article Two

Department of Treasury and Commerce

Section 1 – Mandate

All financial powers herein granted shall be vested in a Department of Treasury and Commerce which shall consist of a single representative body.

Section 2 – Powers of the Department

To levy and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises, to pay down debt and perform necessary operational functions. All duties, imposts, and excises shall be uniform throughout; with the understanding that direct taxes, those which are levied on existing property or wages, shall be apportioned equally among the People or the businesses for which they are employed;

To borrow money on the credit of the Union;

To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among Counties, Townships, and Cities/Towns;

To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures;

To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the Union;

To establish lines and access of communication for Government and private sector enterprises;

To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to respective writings and discoveries;

To ensure that private contracts among individuals and corporations which do business within the jurisdiction thereof shall be upheld;

To establish uniform laws on the subject of Bankruptcies;

To exercise exclusive financial legislation in all cases whatsoever over such districts as may be under the seat of the Government of this Union;

To dispose of and make all needful rules and regulations respecting the territory or other property belonging to this Union; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to prejudice any claims of the Union, or of any particular County, Township or City/Town;

To create an annual budget adhering to the laws and regulations of this Constitution;

To ensure the free flow of goods and services, with respect to the environment, People and Government.

Article Three

Department of Justice and Law

Section 1- Mandate

All judicial and legal powers herein granted shall be vested in a Department of Justice and Law which shall consist of a single representative body.

Section 2 - Powers of the Department

To oversee and regulate the creation of common law-based Courts within the various Counties, Townships, and Cities/Towns, as many as deemed necessary by the Department and overseen by that District’s representative, who shall choose justices for the Courts for a term determined by the Department;

To oversee and regulate the creation of a Federal Supreme Court, with an uneven number of justices, no less than seven, understanding a majority vote in all trials is required, and whose members must be elected Department representatives who may choose to separate themselves from normal Department activities;

To oversee and regulate the creation of regional Courts, as many as deemed necessary, and to appoint Federal judges under the recommendation of the Secretary and majority approval by the Department body;

To review all bills, measures, laws, taxes and budgets from the various Departments for constitutionality;

To have original jurisdiction, to be heard by a predetermined body, to adjudicate all cases that gain certiorari, within the jurisdiction of this Union or any matter pertaining to this Union for which the constitutionality, or interpretation of law, is in question.  This includes treaties, international disputes, declarations of war and national emergency.

To ensure the passage of laws to ensure public safety, productivity, and freedom of action and/or expression without infringing on any statute in Article 6 of this Constitution.

To pass laws on treason against the Union that shall include, but are not limited to, levying war against the Union, or in adhering to its enemies, giving aid and comfort to its enemies. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or recorded, or on confession in open Court, and determine the punishment of treason, but no attainder of treason shall work corruption of blood, or forfeiture except during the life of the person attained.

To regulate the availability and legality of intoxicating substances.

To settle disputed boundaries for Counties, Townships and Cities/Towns and issue necessary warrants.

To create law governing Citizen and Registered Resident registration.

To determine the age limits of voters.

To determine the location of a trial if the alleged crime is not held within the jurisdiction of this Union but still falls under the auspices of the Court.

To interpret this Constitution when reviewing laws, bills, measures, taxes and budgets, and any case not covered by this Constitution shall be left to the discretion of the People via referendum.

Article Four

Government Operations

Section 1 – Elections

The national electorate shall be divided into districts of no more than 500,000 Citizens, and no more than four regions divided equally by population, to be chosen and amended every ten years by a committee of nine representatives, three from each Department.  Each representative shall be a member of the Department he/she represents, nominated by the Secretary, and affirmed by a majority vote within their respective Department.

All national elections shall be determined by popular vote. Members of the Departments shall be elected once every six years by their respective districts in which they shall reside outside the Capital, and shall serve no more than two full terms or one full term and more than 80% of another.  Upon ratification of this Constitution, a nationwide vote shall ensure for all Departments, which then stagger every two years beginning with Treasury and Commerce, followed by Justice and Law, then Military and State.

Initial Elections which determine district representatives shall be held on the first day of the seventh month of the year, excluding weekends.  The victors who desire the position of Department Secretary shall run in the Regional Elections, which are to be held on the first day of the ninth month of the year, excluding weekends.  The four regional winners then shall run for Secretary in the National Election, held on the first weekday of the last month of the year, excluding weekends. The new Department shall be sworn in, with Secretary, on the third weekday of the New Year. 

In the event of a tie on any electoral level, which is defined as any election where the total vote count for the top candidates is within one percent, the candidate who spent the least amount of money shall be the victor.  Campaign spending shall be reported to Department officials on a weekly basis during the campaign.  Failure to comply, or fraudulence, shall immediately result in expulsion from the campaign and a return of money to requesting donors.

No candidate shall be a member of a political party and shall not be endorsed by any political parties.

No candidate shall hold a public office different from that which he is a candidate. 

Candidates, who receive a certain number of signatures determined by their respective Department, shall appear on the Initial Election ballot. 

Voting requirements of Article 5, Section 1 of this Constitution shall apply except for the first two elections following ratification, in which case all legal Citizens within the jurisdiction of the adopting Union shall vote, and the following election two years later.

Section 2 – Members and Secretary

Department representatives may serve one of their two-term limits, or 80 percent of one remaining term, as Secretary. The Secretary on the first day of session shall choose a Lieutenant Secretary from the respective Department. If the Secretary cannot perform his or her duties, the Lieutenant Secretary shall assume plenary powers, including the authority to call the Department to session.

If a Department member cannot perform his/her duties, a new member, who shall reside in that district, shall be chosen by the Secretary and confirmed by the Department with a majority vote.

Members of the Departments shall regulate their own Rules of Order, ethics and meetings, and shall meet no less than once a month. 

Any action against a fellow representative, including the Secretary, shall require a two-thirds vote for the exception of expulsion, which shall require a three-fourths vote.  Expelled representatives shall appear before the Supreme Court, if granted certiorari, to face appropriate charges.

Department members shall be sworn in reciting the following:  “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office for which I have been elected, and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the People of this land and the Constitution of this Union. Failure in this endeavor shall result in my rescinding of office.”

Section 3 – Campaign Finance and Compensation

Department candidates shall not use personal wealth to fund their own campaigns more than 100 percent of monies they have raised.  

Foreign money, including that which changes hands, is prohibited in campaigns within this jurisdiction.

Department members’ salaries shall be determined by the Department Secretaries. Changes in specific Department wages shall be approved by a majority vote with that specific Department and shall not take effect until the following session begins.

Violation of the measures listed above shall result in immediate and indefinite expulsion from current and all future political races.

Individuals hired by the Federal Government to count votes shall be charged with Felony Tampering of the Democratic System, and punished to the fullest extent of previously determined law, if guilt is proven in a Court of law. 

Section 4 – Mandates, Procedures, and Prohibitions

The State shall not endorse or establish any religion, nor shall it restrict any person who desires to practice.

Bills, declarations, and measures that originate in either the Department of War and State or Treasury and Commerce, and pass with a majority vote with approval from the Secretary, shall be passed with a similar vote and approval from the other Departments.

If the bill or measure fails, the disapproving Department shall make changes and return the document to the Department where it originated.

Upon passage of any bill, measure, treaty, declaration of war, or budget, the Department of Law and Justice shall grant judicial review.